Tenth graders in Honors English create winning video

Student video named finalist in human rights film competition
Kate Hardy’s students made use of the Zoom Room, funded by the Skaneateles Education Foundation
A video called  “Tear the Tape” produced by students in tenth grade Honors English classes at Skaneateles High School is a finalist in the national film-making contest sponsored by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights.
The film was created by Hope Glowacki, Lily Datz, Madie Rhoad, Gianna Eidel, Grace Hilpl, and Nieve Morse. It was selected out of hundreds of submissions to the Speak Truth to Power competition from around the country – and is now one of six finalists.
“RFK Center for Human Rights will be announcing the winners by next week. If chosen, our group will be heading to the Tribeca Film Festival,” said teacher Kate Hardy.
In addition to the grand prize winner, the competition gives a variety of awards to top videos, and those have yet to be announced this year.  Hardy said she expects some of the other films submitted by her students to be recognized as well.  In all, she submitted five films (which were done in five groups with a total of 27 students involved). Two of the Skaneateles films were on women’s rights. Others focus on the environment, bullying and genocide.
Here is the link to the film that is among the top six in the country:
https://ensemble.cayboces.org/Watch/Xa34RqBd
The Speak Truth to Power student video is co-sponsored by the AFT and challenges middle and high school students to create short films about a human rights violation and the modern-day heroes fighting to stop it.
 
Speak Truth To Power, a project of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, is a multi-faceted, global initiative that uses the experiences of courageous defenders from around the world to educate students and others about human rights and urge them to take action. Issues range from slavery and environmental activism to religious self-determination and political participation.
Skaneateles students entered the contest for the first time in the 2013-14 school year and have received recognition each of the three years.
STTP said its judging panel was composed of over 20 active educators from across the nation, staff from American Federation of Teachers, RFK Human Rights and the Tribeca Film Institute.
A panel of celebrity judges (listed below) will review the finalist films, including the Skaneateles film. The Grand Prize film will be presented at the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan this month.
Student work was produced in the Skaneateles state-of-the-art video lab (Zoom Room), made possible through a grant called Zooming In, Zooming Ahead, funded by the Skaneateles Education Foundation.
 
In a letter to the students:
On behalf of the judging committee I am happy to announce that your video has been selected as one of our finalist. The film will join five others as the top submissions in the nation and will be judged by a celebrity panel including:
Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Oliver Stone, American film director, screenwriter, and producer
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers
Beth Janson, Executive Director of Tribeca Film Institute
Richard Iannuzzi, Robert F. Kennedy Board of Directors
Rory Kennedy, Emmy-Award Nominated Director/Film Maker
Matt McCoy, Actor/Producer
Paul Pecorale, Vice President of the New York State United Teachers
Peter Rundlet, Vice President for Investments at Humanity United